CM orders timely completion of Swat Motorway project

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Monday said that Swat Motorway would usher in a new era of development and promote tourism and trade in Malakand division and elsewhere in the province.

Inaugurating the south tunnel of Swat Motorway at Zulam Kot near Chakdara, the chief minister said that the project would make the entire Malakand division the centre of all tourism-related activities and would open up new vistas of development.

Provincial Minister for C&W Akbar Ayub, spokesman of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government MPA Shaukat Yousafzai, Director General Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) Maj-Gen. Inam Haider Malik, Malakand Division Commissioner Zaheerul Islam and other officials were also present.

The chief minister inspected the roads from Karnal Sher Khan Interchange to Bakhshali and had an aerial view from Bakhshali to Zulam Kot.

The FWO head briefed the chief minister on the progress made so far on the project.

The chief minister directed for timely completion of the project with the focus on the quality of work adding that by December, the motorway should be ready for all traffic.

He said it is a unique project the provincial government had initiated and will be completed through own resources.

The 80 kilometres long mega project would have seven interchanges right from Karnal Sher Khan Interchange to Chakdara. This would also develop and upgrade services in the hitherto dozens of backward villages in the area.

Mahmood Khan thanked the people for giving land for the construction of motorway and assured that the land acquisition money would soon be given to the owners.

It is a project of public welfare, public development and public prosperity which would usher in a new era of development of the entire Malakand adding that his government would never compromise on the development and prosperity of the people and removing their deprivation.

He also planted deodar saplings and directed the relevant department to launch tree plantation on both sides of the motorway.